2017 NBA Draft: These guys have upside, but Isaac might have highest ceiling

In the NBA Draft, teams are generally looking for two things: a piece that fits, or a lottery ticket that can pay off in a big way.

What follows are the lottery tickets. These are the players in this draft who might not be guarantees but who, if the circumstances are right — if the fit works and if the player matures and if the hard work is put in — can become stars.

I’m not going to include players like Washington’s Markelle Fultz, UCLA’s Lonzo Ball or Duke’s Jayson Tatum. We already know who those players can become. We saw it in college.

Instead, this is about the players whose potential is exponentially greater than what we saw in college.

1. Jonathan Isaac, SF, Florida State: Isaac’s numbers weren’t eye-popping for a deep and talented Florida State team. He averaged 12 points and 7.8 rebounds, made 3-pointers at a 34.8 percent rate and blocked a 1.5 shots per game. Pretty good! But not nearly as good as he can be. Isaac might have the highest ceiling in this entire draft. The reason is because his development as a young basketball player resembles Anthony Davis’ development. Like Davis, Isaac grew up as a normal-sized wing until his height shot up late in high school. He’s 6-foot-11 now, but his college coach told me he